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Drumming up a beat

1. In what area is critique to be sought?
I would like some feedback on the following:
- Composition
- Have I achieved my objectives in this photo, and is the "feel" present and correct
- Technical aspects of the shot (exposure, WB, DOF, etc)
- Post-processing
- General comments

2. What one hopes to achieve with the piece of work?
- I wish to convey a sense of action, by allowing the movement of the hands and body to show in the form of motion blur.
- Vignetting was done PP to focus the viewers' attention to the subject (drummer), and to create some gradation in the background.
- Saturation and contrast was adjusted PP to bring out the texture of the background and to create a "cooler" (as in funky, not colour temperature ) feel.
- I also wanted to convey a sense of action and movement, in contrast to the dark, moody surroundings, almost as though he was playing in a dark room with a spot light on him.

3. Under what circumstance is the picture taken? (physical conditions/emotions)
- This was taken at Wala Wala. Ambient was dark and moody. I was approx. 5m away.
- Canon 450D, 17-55mm f/2.8 lens @ 38mm, 1/10, f/2.8, ISO800, no flash, handheld.
- There were many people sitting in front of me, so this was a quick shot where I was sitting. Not much thought towards composition at that time.
- Increased contrast, highlights, and vibrance, but decreased saturation. A little unsharp mask was used to sharpen the face.

4. What the critique seeker personally thinks of the picture
- I like the balance of the picture. The three "highlights" of the picture - face, logo on the T-shirt, and logo on the bass drum obeyed (kind of) the 1/3 rule, and the logo on the drum balances the face.
- The subject is framed on 3 sides by his drumset.
- The background was textured, and I think the vignetting enhanced the look.
- PP (something like the Hill effect) gave the image some "feel" and makes it stand out, IMO.
- Action was conveyed through motion blur.
- I like the lighting on the face, almost as though it was deliberately done in the studio.

Re: Drumming up a beat

I do not quite agree to your explanation.

For my approach... portrait format ( framing ), shoot from the side slightly behind the drummer, show the drum surface of which he his beating on, use extreme slow shutter speed,e.g. 1/2 sec to accentuate the beating movement, if can show the cymbal shaking even best. high ISO speed , grainy effect, high contrast, drummer just show some side of his face, blur also can, to indicate he is almost in a trance, that means deeply involves in his music.

Not necessary to show the whole complete drum set, neither the brand name is required unless commercially required as in an ad shot.

Re: Drumming up a beat

Originally Posted by cabbySHE

I do not quite agree to your explanation.

For my approach... portrait format ( framing ), shoot from the side slightly behind the drummer, show the drum surface of which he his beating on, use extreme slow shutter speed,e.g. 1/2 sec to accentuate the beating movement, if can show the cymbal shaking even best. high ISO speed , grainy effect, high contrast, drummer just show some side of his face, blur also can, to indicate he is almost in a trance, that means deeply involves in his music.

Not necessary to show the whole complete drum set, neither the brand name is required unless commercially required as in an ad shot.

Have you ever seen drummer/musician perform like that ?

Hmm, interesting suggestion! That kind of shot would be impossible at that circumstances, because I was in a crowded pub and I don't have access to the stage (and can't set up a tripod). I think this is a different view, and would give a different feel to the pic. Worth trying out! For your approach, what do you think silhouetting the drummer against the frontal lights on the drumset?

Re: Drumming up a beat

Silhouette is a good idea too, can also include some other performer in front of the drummer, other than just drum solo, indicating a stage performance.

Have to agree that shooting from audience position is usually never a good choice, and that's why in tv production they have got several angles covered besides stationary frontal shot. Can get idea from those DVD of live band performance.